News from the seabed – Geological characteristics and resource potential of deep-sea mineral resources

Marine minerals such as manganese nodules, Co-rich ferromanganese crusts, and seafloor massive sulfides are commonly seen as possible future resources that could potentially add to the global raw materials supply. At present, a proper assessment of these resources is not possible due to a severe lack of information regarding their size, distribution, and composition. It is clear, however, that manganese nodules and Co-rich ferromanganese crusts are a vast resource and mining them could have a profound impact on global metal markets, whereas the global resource potential of seafloor massive sulfides appears to be small. These deep-sea mineral commodities are formed by very different geological processes resulting in deposits with distinctly different characteristics. The geological boundary conditions also determine the size of any future mining operations and the area that will be affected by mining. Similarly, the sizes of the most favorable areas that need to be explored for a global resource assessment are also dependent on the geological environment. Size reaches 38 million km² for manganese nodules, while those for Co-rich crusts (1.7 million km²) and massive sulfides (3.2 million km²) are much smaller. Moreover, different commodities are more abundant in some jurisdictions than in others. While only 19% of the favorable area for manganese nodules lies within the Exclusive Economic Zone of coastal states or is covered by proposals for the extension of the continental shelf, 42% of the favorable areas for massive sulfides and 54% for Co-rich crusts are located in EEZs.     

矿业权边界在资源储量估算垂直纵投影图上的确定

利用垂直纵投影图进行资源储量估算时,当矿体走向与矿业权边界斜交时,矿业权边界在资源储量垂直纵投影图上投影的准确位置较难确定。该文介绍了利用不同中段平面图和利用计算公式确定矿业权边界在资源储量垂直纵投影图上的投影位置,对解决此类问题具有一定的参考价值。     

Comparative Study of Hydrogen and Carbon Isotopic Composition of Gases Generated from the Pyrolysis of a Peat under Saltwater and Freshwater Conditions

To understand the influence of the diagenetic water medium on the isotopic compositions of thermogenic coalbed gas, both hydrous and anhydrous closed-system pyrolyses were performed at temperatures of 250°C to 650°C on an herbaceous marsh peat. Compared to the results of anhydrous pyrolysis, the hydrocarbon gases generated from hydrous pyrolyses have very different hydrogen isotopic compositions. However, the carbon isotopic compositions of the hydrocarbon gases became only slightly heavier in hydrous pyrolysis, compared to that from anhydrous pyrolysis. With the progress of thermal evolution from peat to a more advanced thermal maturity of vitrinite reflectance values (Ro) of 5.5% during the pyrolysis, the difference in the average δD value increased from 52‰ to 64‰ between the hydrous pyrolysis with saltwater and anhydrous pyrolysis and increased from 18‰ to 29‰ between the hydrous pyrolysis with freshwater and anhydrous pyrolysis, respectively. The difference in the average δ13C value was only 1‰–2‰ between the hydrous and anhydrous pyrolysis. The relationships between the δD values of the generated hydrocarbon gases and Ro values as well as among δD values of the hydrocarbon gas species are established. The close relationships among these parameters suggest that the water medium had a significant effect on the hydrogen isotopic composition and a minimal effect on the carbon isotopic composition of the hydrocarbon gases. The results of these pyrolyses may provide information for the understanding of the genesis of coalbed gas from herbaceous marsh material with the participation of different diagenetic water media.     

非常规油气地质岩心钻探专业术语的商榷

针对石油钻井工程与矿产地质钻探工程中使用的部分专业术语在理解和应用上存在的差异进行梳理,为了方便各项技术工作的融合、沟通交流和资料的收集与验收,希望相关专业术语在定义和使用上进一步规范和统一,以便于对今后非常规油气地质岩心钻探工作的开展能有所帮助。     

High-reliability zircon separation for hunting the oldest material on Earth: An automatic zircon separator with image-processing/microtweezers-manipulating system and double-step dating

Despite the recent development in radiometric dating of numerous zircons by LA-ICPMS, mineral separation still remains a major obstacle, particularly in the search for the oldest material on Earth. To improve the efficiency in zircon separation by an order of magnitude, we have designed/developed a new machine-an automatic zircon separator(AZS). This is designed particularly for automatic pick-up of100 μm-sized zircon grains out of a heavy mineral fraction after conventional separation procedures. The AZS operates in three modes:(1) image processing to choose targeted individual zircon grains out of all heavy minerals spread on a tray,(2) automatic capturing of the individual zircon grains with microtweezers, and(3) placing them one-by-one in a coordinated alignment on a receiving tray. The automatic capturing was designed/created for continuous mineral selecting without human presence for many hours. This software also enables the registration of each separated zircon grain for dating, by recording digital photo-image, optical(color) indices, and coordinates on a receiving tray. We developed two new approaches for the dating; i.e.(1) direct dating of zircons selected by LA-ICPMS without conventional resin-mounting/polishing,(2) high speed U-Pb dating, combined with conventional sample preparation procedures using the new equipment with multiple-ion counting detectors(LA-MIC-ICPMS).With the first approach, Pb-Pb ages obtained from the surface of a mineral were crosschecked with the interior of the same grain after resin-mounting/polishing. With the second approach, the amount of time required for dating one zircon grain is ca. 20 s, and a sample throughput of 150 grains per hour can be achieved with sufficient precision(ca. 0.5%).We tested the practical efficiency of the AZS, by analyzing an Archean Jack Hills conglomerate in Western Australia with the known oldest(4.3 Ga) zircon on Earth. Preliminary results are positive; we were able to obtain more than 194 zircons that are over 4.0 Ga out of ca. 3800 checked grains, and 9 grains were over 4300 Ma with the oldest at 4371 ± 7 Ma. This separation system by AZS, combined with the new approaches, guarantees much higher yield in the hunt for old zircons.     

庐枞矿集区中东部七家山—马口地区深部找矿潜力分析

为调查庐枞矿集区中东部七家山—马口地区深部矿产资源潜力,利用小波变换方法提取深源重磁场,通过对垂向一阶导数Z与水平方向导数模S进行参数变换,突出深源重磁场的局部异常; 结合频谱激电(spectrum induced polarization,SIP)、可控源音频大地电磁测深(controlled source audio-frequency magneto tellurics,CSAMT)成果,在调查区深部查明了一条长大于3.0 km、宽大于0.5 km的高重低磁、低阻高极化异常带; 根据调查区内外已知铜矿(化)体分布规律,结合已知矿(化)体在深源重磁异常中的分布及钻孔(zk4601)钻探验证结果,认为上述异常带是铜多金属矿化蚀变带的反映,是寻找铜多金属矿的有利部位,具有较好的找矿前景。     

西秦岭温泉—中川一带金属矿床的成矿规律及找矿预测

西秦岭温泉—中川一带实施的1:5万矿产地质调查项目,共圈定1:5万局部高磁异常33处,1:5万地球化学综合异常11处,发现矿点2处,矿化点5处,矿种有金、钼、铁、铜、铷等。通过分析研究区成矿地质条件、1:5万地球物理和地球化学综合异常特征、矿(化)点特征及分布规律等,阐明了该区成矿时空分布规律和矿产共生组合规律,划分成矿远景区9处,提交找矿靶区6处。对其中2处找矿靶区进行槽探验证的结果为: 关子镇幅玉杨观找矿靶区圈定了4条含铷矿化伟晶岩脉和多处铁矿化破碎蚀变带,具有形成伟晶岩型铷矿的潜力; 礼县幅李坝金矿床南侧百叶沟—河西沟找矿靶区圈定了14条蚀变破碎带,在矿化蚀变带内圈定了11条金矿(化)体,具有形成构造蚀变岩(微细粒浸染状)型金矿床的潜力。     

内蒙古1∶5万乌音呼日勒庙等四幅区域地质矿产调查新进展

内蒙古1∶5万乌音呼日勒庙等四幅区域地质矿产调查项目取得的新进展及主要成果为: 根据岩石组合、动植物化石及同位素年龄等,重新厘定、划分了16个岩石地层填图单位,在多个组段沉积岩层位中首次发现丰富的动、植物化石,建立了各地层年代学格架; 将侵入岩重新解体划分为4个填图单元,并建立了侵入岩年代学格架; 新发现1处规模较大的韧性变形带,主要为逆—左行走滑韧性断层,时代归属于中三叠世末期,为额尔古纳河—阿龙山NE向韧性变形域的南部延伸; 新发现矿(化)点20处,其中金属矿点3处,金属矿化点6处,非金属矿点9处,非金属矿化点2处; 总结了该区成矿规律,圈定了成矿远景区及找矿靶区。     

福建霞浦大湾钼铍矿区碱长花岗岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年研究

福建霞浦大湾钼铍矿床产于火山岩区,但成矿作用可能与岩浆活动和裂隙构造关系密切。为查清矿区隐伏的钠长石化碱长花岗岩与钼铍矿成矿作用之间的关系,本文运用激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱法(LA-ICP-MS)对碱长花岗岩进行锆石U-Pb测年研究,获得年龄结果为93. 0±0. 6 Ma,与矿区的辉钼矿成矿年龄(92. 2±1. 3 Ma)一致,表明碱长花岗岩与钼铍矿成矿作用时空上具有密切的成因联系,岩浆活动可能为矿区钼铍矿的形成提供了成矿物质和成矿流体。结合区域上的成岩成矿年代学数据,本研究认为福建省燕山期岩浆活动时代与钼铍矿成矿时代都具有从西向东逐渐变新的时空分布规律,钼铍矿的成矿地质构造背景为燕山期华南岩石圈伸展环境。     

全球数据库数据研究的初步进展

人类已进入大数据和人工智能时代,其成果已惠及千家万户。然而,大数据和人工智能技术在科学研究领域的应用却相形见绌,还未真正得到重视。大数据和人工智能是一种方法,一种思路,它不同于传统的科学研究方法和思路。在科学研究中,什么是大数据研究呢?符合大数据3个技术取向的是大数据研究,采用全数据模式的是大数据研究,从数据出发的是大数据研究。文中介绍了我们利用全球数据库数据厘定的玄武岩、安山岩、大陆边缘弧玄武岩(CAB)构造环境判别图,其中安山岩判别图填补了学术界的空白。玄武岩(MORB、OIB、IAB)判别图也不同于学术界早先熟知的判别图,是根据元素之间的相关关系厘定的。文中还讨论了大数据研究带来的一些可能很有意义的科学问题。如:1.在判别图研究中发现了许多效果较好的图解,主要依赖的是主元素、过渡元素和金属元素之间的关系,上述关系有什么意义,为什么会起到判别的作用?2.数据挖掘发现,全球大洋中脊中酸性岩极度匮乏,是否说明上地幔严重缺水?3.研究发现,中新世是全球岩浆活动最发育的时期,这一时期全球还出现了许多重大地质事件,二者之间是否存在关联?4.中新世全球埃达克岩最发育,按照埃达克岩的出露,发现从青藏高原到喀尔巴阡可能存在一个巨型的欧亚高原;5.根据对新生代苦橄岩全球时空分布研究,提出了一个如何认识全球热点问题等。文中还提出了下一步研究的建议并强调指出,科学已经进入大数据和人工智能时代,在大数据和人工智能时代,科学划分的标准发生了变化:凡是能够用数据化表述的学科才称之为科学,而不能用数据化表述的学科就不是科学,看来,能否被数据化是科学与非科学的分水岭。在大数据和人工智能时代,地质学和矿床学遭遇了空前的危机。按照我们的预测,在可以预见的未来,地球物理学将远超地质学,空间科学将异军突起,而在地质学领域内地球化学一花独放的局面还将维系很长一段时间。文中最后还探讨了今后找矿靠什么的问题,认为物化探和钻探测试技术的进步非常重要,同时,发展人工智能技术也已迫在眉睫。